Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail is an easy and elegant appetizer for a special occasion. Roasting the shrimp with garlic and a touch of Spanish smoked paprika gives the shrimp an extra bump of flavor.

Shrimp cocktail is one of the most popular holiday appetizers. This version of shrimp cocktail is one I made several years ago for a friend’s book signing event. I “catered” the entire affair for 40 people at our house, and spent several weeks testing out recipes and preparing the menu until I was satisfied. My son and husband benefited from all the testing, eating appetizers for dinner many nights.

This Roasted Shrimp Cocktail was a last minute addition to the menu. I wanted to make my favorite Garlic Shrimp but that was going to require cooking after the guests arrived. I needed a shrimp appetizer that could be done in a large batch easily and made ahead of time. So, I incorporated the flavor of garlic shrimp with a touch of Spanish smoked paprika into these roasted shrimp.

Roasting shrimp brings out the natural sweetness in shrimp and is a great way to make shrimp in large quantities. It’s a win-win.

For the cocktail sauce, I simply doctored up a bottle of cocktail sauce I found at Trader Joe’s, making it spicier with the addition of prepared horseradish and some of my Ghost Chile Carrot Hot Sauce.

My presentation that night was even prettier than what I show here. I used lemon slices to line the bottom of the platter and laid the shrimp on top. Save this recipe for the holidays – it’s easy, can be made ahead, and makes shrimp cocktail that much more special and tastier.

Instructions

Roasted Shrimp

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 8-10 minutes, until shrimp is just cooked through. Set aside to cool. Arrange on a platter with a bowl of Cocktail Sauce.

I love shrimp!!! Wish we had access to more fresh seafood here in Madison.. everything fresh is pretty much flown in from Chicago. . ah. . not like it was when I was living in CA and Seattle that’s for sure! This app looks soooooo good!!! love!

Loved hearing how all of your friend’s hard work paid off. The book signing event must have been such a great time! This shrimp looks amazing and I love all the flavors in here! The fact that you can make it ahead of time makes it even more perfect for the holidays too 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Jeanette!